I Love You, Au Revoir
by ForeverAnon
Summary: Haylijah Oneshot - A Rewrite for 2x14 "I Love You, Goodbye"The Scene where Elijah see's Hayley in her wedding dress, however this time he actually get's to say the words. For all those Haylijah Shippers that needed to hear him say it. Au Revoir translates to "Goodbye, Until We Meet Again" and that is what I hope to see for Haylijah!


I Love You, Au Revoir

Hayley breathed shakily as she began to peer reluctantly into the full length mirror before her. Her stomach clenched with jittering nerves and she took the tinniest steps forth to be washed by it's gleaming surface. As she did so, the soft brushing hem of her graceful white lace dress ruffled ever so lightly, producing a subdued sound only to be caught by her hybrid hearing. Her shoulders then suddenly found themselves tumbling erratically with an anxious shiver as she swallowed and bit down on her teeth, clutching her skirts with fists and exhaling deeply.

Her hazel green eyes widened as she surveyed the image in front of her and very nearly gasped, seeing her own coral pink lips part with a puff. Her soft dark hair lay perfectly around the frame of her pale face and she felt the weight of the embellishment clipped tightly in place.

"It's really happening." She then breathed, with almost a sense of fear to herself inside, still quite incapable of believing that this was indeed her wedding day. She was meant to be happy but her eyes looked dull in the polished glass. Hayley forced her gaze to plummet towards the ground as a shot of despondence smothered her.

"I don't love Jackson." Her own words rang clear within her mind like church bells echoing out into the city. Her heart knocked and she felt her frame tense, the wedding dress creasing against her body which swayed a little unsteadily. Hayley blinked rapidly as her pulse danced and then her eyes snapped back onto the glass.

She had heard footsteps and inhaled sharply freezing upon her spot.

Her breath waited impatiently within her full lungs as her strained eyes pierced the mirror anticipating who it was that would appear. She had heard enough from Klaus this morning and Rebekah's cheerful compliments although entirely pleasing still quaked a restlessness within her heart.

Her eyes latched onto the face behind her reflection.

Hayley's breathed a relieving breath.

Elijah stepped forth into view.

He was immaculately dressed in a shadow black, precisely tailored to the inch suit, the same flower nestled amongst her coffee locks pinned to his chest. Anyone could have mistaken him for the groom.

He reached the doorway, hovering over the threshold as if he needed to be invited in.

The wood creaked beneath his polished shoes and Hayley's bright eyes fluttered flourishingly as swirled in her spot to face him. Her balled hands then bloomed allowing the charming dress to fall delicately into place. She swayed left and right slightly her hands flat against the material and her eyes tipping towards the ground for a second or so.

Elijah found his heart swelling as his eyes absorbed every fibre of her being. She looked stunning. She looked breathless. She was perfect. The pain flowing through his veins then stung sharply and he felt his eyes begin to prick.

He then continued to stare as still as a statue and watched her own beautiful eyes rise up to meet his besotted gaze and a breath escaped his lips. He could have sworn they looked saline too.

Hayley fought the swell forming behind her eyes but then found herself smiling sweetly as she caught every second of his puppy dog stare and within that moment forgot everything else in the world and of that, most of all, the wedding.

"You look perfect." Elijah finally managed to breathe and Hayley's smiled stooped as she realised her attire, the date, the wedding. She stepped out of the way of the mirror and into the centre of the room turning her back on the man...the man she...

"Loved." The thought burst into her head like a popped balloon.

He watched her, noticing the slight shake in her step and the slightly too irregular sound of her breathing.

"Hayley." He then spoke recalling his rehearsed lines despite feeling the intense desire to just...

"Kiss her." Elijah suddenly thought as his heart clenched painfully and then he tensed inside horrified by his desire.

Elijah coughed to dislodge the lump forming within his dry throat.

He clenched his fist and then released it continuing with as much composure as he could muster in this second.

"I understand this arrangement is important to your cause and I wish to do nothing to dissuade you from it." He spoke and then found he had already made the mistake of switching will for wish. This wasn't working. His heart convulsed.

Hayley heard his voice noticing the faint cracks within his tone. He was trying so hard, so hard to fight it and she knew. She scrunched her eyes folding her arms against her and clutching her elbows shrank into herself. Stray tears escaped her eye lids and her breathing wavered with a sharp sob as she slowly swirled towards him.

Elijah immediately took a step forth uttering her name with a rich concern, his face displaying anguish that no one should ever have to bear. He wanted to hold her; he needed to feel her but his heal dug back into his spot as he wrenched himself from the free will of reaching her.

Hayley watched him swallowing her tears and trying to pull herself together.

"This is for Hope, for the wolves." She told herself but her body shook. She had thought it would be okay, she had made the decision logically with deep consideration but in this moment, in the here, in the now, nothing about it felt right.

"I can't do it." Her broken voice blurted and the words were out before she could take them back.

Elijah heard her and his eyes widened as a tear ran down his own cheek. He wiped it away hastily suddenly striding to her.

His hands gripped her shoulders caressing her collar bone gently with his thumbs; he then cupped her neck and cradled her head as Hayley's eyes closed on feeling his familiar touch.

Hayley murmured and she found herself wanting to lay her head down on his chest and to forget this mess and just be immersed with his scent but he held her steadily.

"Listen to me." He spoke firmly like he had done so before.

"You can." He told her with a resolution in his voice that frightened her.

She recoiled from his grasp and turned away reaching the end of the room.

"How?" she croaked almost angrily.

"How can you say that Elijah." She almost snapped.

Elijah neared her slowly, standing behind her close enough to cause goose bumps against her skin but not touching.

He swallowed sharply and then breathed softly, preparing for the next few words he was about to speak. The words he has wished to speak on countless occasions, the words which had clanged against the chains within his heart like mad and tortured prisoners...

"Because...Hayley." he spoke slowly watching the rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed before him alive and even in this state, still strong as ever.

"I love you." The words sang off his lips, three words and eight letters, soaring from his bared soul into her ears.

Hayley felt her head spin and she herself spun around to stare at the man standing by her an expression of shock sprawling onto her face, her eyes wide with astonishment.

While doing so she lost her step falling back onto the wall behind her as Elijah grasped her wrist to steady her and the two both looked down at the grip around her hand and then at each other as she leaned almost breathlessly against the cool surface. Their hearts were thudding maddeningly within their chests.

Hayley's eyes flickered and then finally softened growing more soulful by the second.

She damped her lips taking a large breath.

"From the moment I have met you..." she spoke slowly and intensely.

"I have felt everything for you." She replied stressing each word, while her heart felt as if it were bursting at the seams and was still unable to believe the words that had escaped Elijah's still parted lips just before her own.

Elijah's mind somersaulted in a daze as his own gaze then began to melt transforming into one displaying the most purist and painful expressions of love that anyone could ever witness.

He found himself stroking gently up her arm staring into her oh so striking eyes.

"I love you." She breathed back in a puff of a breath.

"That's the first time anyone has ever said that to me." She confessed as a whisper and Elijah's eyes danced over her with sense of heartfelt awe.

His hand then soothingly curled around her waist and he pulled her against him vowing that if this was the day he was about to lose the woman he was in love with, he would not be doing so without the feel of her heart next to his.

Hayley exhaled deeply resting against him and curling her arms around his neck.

Elijah spoke as softly as he could, holding her firmly against him and speaking beside her ear.

"I told you once, that you will always have a choice." He began slowly stroking a stray strand behind her ear.

"And I am sticking by those words."

"They will never change Hayley." He breathed resolute staring into her eyes.

"They can't."

"As I said before I will do nothing to dissuade you from doing what you need to do for your daughter, for your people. Hayley you would not have made this decision if you had not truly seen something right in it."

"I understand what needs to be done." He admitted pausing slightly.

Hayley listened carefully, resting her heavy head back onto his shoulder, absorbing his every word while desperately not wanting to see the truth in them.

"Know that I will always love you." He then added with a slight wavering breath.

Hayley breathed gently.

"And I say this not to make this decision any harder for you but because it is true and so that you are aware that you cannot lose my affection in any circumstance." Elijah continued stressing his words.

Hayley closed her eyes sharply on hearing this but softly rose from his shoulder turning to look at him.

"This can't be goodbye." She spoke still painfully but with clarity now that resonated within her being.

Elijah grasped her hand and squeezed it firmly.

"It isn't." He spoke securely and then reached to gently cup and tilt her head forwards towards him as Hayley held his wrist lightly.

Elijah then swallowed the bitter pain which hung thick in the air and kissed her chastely and slowly upon the forehead, then lightly resting his own forehead upon hers and paused, savouring the moment.

He then stepped back as she looked up at him and smiled softly.

"It's more so Aur Revoir..." he answered gently as his hand on her heated cheek beneath her own, slowly slipped away...


End file.
